The collection development policy for Economics guides the development and management of Economics materials in the Wellesley College Library. This policy is for use by the Wellesley College community and the Economics collections librarian. Faculty and students are encouraged to provide recommendations for library materials.

GENERAL PURPOSE OF THE COLLECTIONEconomics materials in the Wellesley College Library support the Economics department curriculum. In addition, the collection supports the programs and disciplines in which an economic perspective is employed. The materials provide for undergraduate study, faculty instruction, and basic faculty research.

The study of economics has two primary branches. Microeconomics deals with the functioning of the individual markets and industries and with the behavior of individual decision-making units. Macroeconomics looks at the economy as a whole. It deals with the behavior of economic aggregates-national output, national income, the rate of economic growth, the overall price level, and the rate of inflation. Both branches deal with the potential role of government and public policy in what is essentially a market system.

The Economics collection includes resources for the study of both microeconomics and macroeconomics. Within these broad areas are resources for the study of finance, global and national development, trade, and organizations.

Formats in the Economics collection include books, periodicals, electronic resources (including data and online statistical databases), and video recordings. The majority of these circulate to students, faculty, and staff.

DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION1. Readership level: The Economics collection consists primarily of works written for basic through advanced undergraduate level and for basic faculty research. Graduate- and research-level publications are collected selectively.

2. Languages collected or excluded: Currently, English-language materials are collected exclusively, although the collection contains a very small number of foreign-language titles.

3. Geographical areas covered by the collections in terms of intellectual content, publication sources, or both, and specific areas excluded, as appropriate: No area of the world is excluded from consideration, although acquisitions are selective in the case of Oceana and Scandinavia. The United States, Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia receive particular attention. Works dealing with very specific geographic areas-the economic study of a particular U.S. county, for example-normally would not be acquired.

4. Chronological periods collected in terms of publication dates, and specific periods excluded, as appropriate: The collection emphasizes current material, with the primary purpose of supporting coursework, student research, and basic faculty research. Older imprints are acquired selectively, usually as replacements for classic works, or at the specific request of a student or faculty member.

5. Chronological periods covered by the collection in terms of intellectual content, movement, or schools:All chronological periods are included.

Reference: Reference material for Economics is purchased by the Economics collections librarian for Research and Instruction and follows the general subject parameters of the Economics collections policy. The scope includes, but is not limited to, the following types of material: dictionaries/thesauri/nomenclature aids, encyclopedias, data and online statistical databases as appropriate, and indexing and abstracting databases for periodical articles and reviews. Reference works may be acquired in print or online. These sources support curricular as well as related professional programs.

GENERAL SUBJECT BOUNDARIES AND LIBRARY LOCATIONSEconomics materials are housed in Clapp Library.

1. Special Subject Emphases: Traditionally, the Economics collection has emphasized coverage of the United States, Europe, and Russia.

2. Current Collecting Priorities: In addition to the above, the collections holdings in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America have been given priority, particularly in the areas of development and resource economics.

3. Subjects Collected Selectively: The library collection contains fewer volumes and is increased more selectively in the following geographic areas, which are generally not covered in the Economics collection: Canada, Scandinavia, and Oceana. United States local economics, with the exception of Massachusetts, is collected selectively.

4. The Economics collection is enhanced by Wellesley's participation in the Federal Depository Library Program. Wellesley collects tangible formats selectively and has an agreement with Marcive, Inc. for electronic records for most monographs.

RELATED SUBJECTS AND INTERDISCIPLINARY RELATIONSHIPS

Art: The Art collections librarian selects materials relating to the economics of the art industry.

Cinema and Media Studies: The Cinema and Media Studies collections librarian selects materials relating to the economics of the film industry.

Education: The Education collections librarian selects materials relating to the economics of education (e.g., public school funding).

German: The German collections librarian selects materials relating to economic conditions tied to German cultural studies.

History: The History collections librarian selects materials relating to economic history.